The Rotary Club of Bacolod, more known as the Mother Club, marks its 74th Charter Anniversary today.
It is today the oldest civic club in Negros. And being just a year and two days older than Bacolod City, it has been a big participant in the growth of the city. While the Club was chartered June 16, 1937, Bacolod was chartered June 18, 1938. Many Bacolod officials had been officials, too, of the Rotary Club. To mention a few I can remember, the late Rep. Carlos Hilado who stands out to have stayed the longest as charter member until he died in 1992 or some 55 years. The late Bacolod Mayor Vicente Remitio was also president of the Club, like Hilado. Former Congressman Monico Puentevella was president of the Club too. Councilor Elcid Familiaran is past president. Former Bacolod Mayor Digoy Montalvo and Oscar Verdeflor were Club members. And many more. * * * This is my 38th year as a Rotarian, believing in the Rotary motto, “Service above self” and its Four-Way Test which is supposed to guide the life of Rotarians: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build friendship and goodwill? And 4. Will it be beneficial to all? Rotary was founded by Paul Harris of Chicago in 1905 composed of businessmen and professionals. Meetings were hosted by rotation, hence, its name Rotary. To date, Rotary International has 1,243,527 members worldwide in 33,790 clubs. There are 12 Clubs in Negros alone. Club officers are incumbent president Jonathan Avelino, incoming president is Glenn de Guzman who will take over in July, and president-elect for 2012 – 2013 is Roderick Alba. * * * There are practices in Rotary that I like. In our Club it is the position that seeks the man and not the man seeking the position. You want to be president, render Club services and the members will elect you. You campaign, you will surely lose. I saw this happened many times. Avelino was a good vice-president that he won unopposed. De Guzman has been a hard working officer, just like a good architect that he has been. He won unopposed. In the election last year Roderick Alba, assistant PNP provincial director, was absent. I nominated him. He was unopposed. His wife, Leilani is a past president and now Avelino’s secretary. In our Club, it does not matter if you are past president. If the members want you to serve a lower position, you accept it. Past presidents Familiaran and Nelson Lo are serving as sergeants-at-arms. Avelino’s term has been successful and got awards. He got everybody’s cooperation. Everybody is set to help de Guzman in his term, too. That makes the Club last for 74 years and still getting strong. As long as members are sold to the Rotary motto and ideals there’s no reason it will not get stronger. * * * I have enjoyed my years at Rotary. During my presidency I got an award from Rotary International for my project that Willie Mirano helped me. During its Centennial Year in 2005, together with Willie we got Centennial Award from Rotary International too. My award was my promoting as a media man the ideals of Rotary. The best award I received in my life was from the Rotary Club of Manila. The award was not my being a Rotarian but my being a journalist. They didn’t know I was a Rotarian. Some years ago, the Rotary Club of Manila was giving awards to Manila outstanding columnists, Teodoro Valencia, Max Soliven, Joe Guevarra, Amando Doronila, Teddy Benigno and others. Then in 2000 it gave awards to outstanding publisher (Raul Locsin of Business World), outstanding editor (Letty Jimenez Magsanoc of Inquirer), outstanding broadcaster (Noli de Castro of ABS-CBN, he was not vice-president yet. And me as outstanding provincial journalist. * * * I got a letter I was nominated as outstanding provincial journalist. I was asked to submit 10 consecutive columns up to the time I received the letter. I did and was informed later I won by the chairman of the awards committee Art Panganiban who later became Supreme Court Chief Justice. The beautiful thing was with the award was a P50,000 cash. Since then I have not heard of the Rotary Club of Manila giving an outstanding provincial journalist to another. Of course, the DAILY STAR was also twice a Rotary Club of Manila awardee. Today the Manila Rotary Club doe not give journalism awards any more. But Rotary on its motto of Service Above Self always stands out. * * * FEEDBACK: In Rotary we call fellow members by their first name, unmindful of his position. Thus, Fidel V. Ramos is plain Eddie and Chief Justice Panganiban is plain Art. Before, Rotary did not accept women. Now in may Clubs women outnumber the men.* Primo Esleyer Visayan Daily Star
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